


Elation

by Eottoghe



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Cuddles, Jealous Jisoo, Jealous Seungcheol, Love Triangles, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-23 11:54:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11401899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eottoghe/pseuds/Eottoghe
Summary: You can’t help but love him, no matter how bad it hurts.





	1. How It All Began

**Author's Note:**

> I suck at summaries tbh. If someone wants to revamp it, lemme know. lol.
> 
> Wanna know what I love more than Jeongcheol? Jeongcheol with a mix of Jihan. So this is pretty much from Josh's perspective and will focus mainly on his emotions. Maybe I'll do a spin-off from Seungcheol's point of view? I don't know. Let me know what you think.

**2 years ago**

 

“Jeonghannie, I haven’t seen you in days. Wake up. Please.” Jisoo cooed to his longtime friend, shaking him gently. Jeonghan was clutched in his arms, facing him. He rarely used aegyo, but knowing it annoys Jeonghan just enough to grasp his attention, he tried. He stared down at long lashes curving on an angelically tranquil face. The smooth slope of his high cheekbones formed a porcelain mask to highlight the small, pastel lips slightly turned down in a chronic pout. Jisoo reached out to brush Jeonghan's light brown, tousled hair out of his face. He did so precariously as if Jeonghan would shatter if startled.

"You see me right now, Shua. Let me sleep!" Jeonghan whined, turning over to bury his face in the soft sheets tucked up to his chin.

 

Honestly, Jisoo just missed Jeonghan. He was craving his attention. The two didn’t have any overlapping classes their second semester of their freshman year in college. Both had paying jobs at different shops across the vast campus which made it difficult to see each other during the day. On a typical morning, Jisoo would run out the door just as Jeonghan would wake up and vice versa. The only time they'd get to see each other was at night when one snuck into the other's bed, curling around an already sleeping figure.

It was sort of tradition, Jeonghan liked to think. One that began at a sleepover in high school. If the day was particularly hard, he'd slip into Jisoo's bed and relax into his embrace. Likewise for the other. But, as Jeonghan saw it merely as a common act, Jisoo found himself falling deeper in love with the boy held in his arms.

So when October came around, the duo were exhausted and in need of a mental vacation.

 

They had been friends since their sophomore year of high school when Jeonghan had befriended the lost American. Jisoo's family moved to Korea for his father's job and the young, quiet boy was very distraught when they did so. He never expected to leave the Californian town he grew up in. Before he had even left, he'd began reminiscing. He would never forget engulfing, warm rays of sun and cool breezes as his closest friends walked the palm tree lined streets. When he ended up in Korea, the stifling humidity alone felt suffocating. He'd look back now and realize that his hatred for his circumstance wasn't because it was Korea, but that it wasn’t what was familiar.

 

That all changed when he met Yoon Jeonghan.

 

Jisoo was shy. He was slow to admit it, but with his low understanding of hangul, the classrooms and schedule left him overwhelmed. There were people around, but he just couldn't bring himself to ask for help in his broken Korean. He paced the halls as they became relatively empty. Just like that, his first day began in disaster. Finding a bathroom, he quickly dodged into it feeling his anxiety creep into his throat. He wanted to cry—wanted so badly to shout and kick and curse whatever had forced him into this stupid, unknown place. As he was about to act on one of his many instincts, a soft hand placed itself on his shoulder, startling him back to reality. Turning around, he laid eyes on a beautiful individual radiating concern and comfort. Jisoo realized that it was an angel that had come to save him.

 

How ironic was it that years later, Jisoo still found this boy unimaginably pristine, despite discovering how crude and lazy he actually was. "You never spend time with me. You're always busy" Jisoo raised his voice a few pitches higher, gently poking at what was visible of Jeonghan's cheek.

"You're always busy too. I'd have to hug myself until I fell asleep the past couple of nights because you were out late." Jeonghan accused lightly. He would never understand the pressure in Jisoo's heart hearing those words. "Why are you still here anyway? Don't you have music theory this morning?"

 

"Nope. It was cancelled. I'm free."

 

"Hi free, I'm sleepy. Come back later." Jeonghan giggled to himself, finding humor in his own joke.

 

Jisoo sighed, seeing that Jeonghan wasn't going to budge without a little push. "I'll make breakfast." He caved. That was all it took to get Jeonghan stretching and fluttering his eyes open. He stared at his platonic bedmate with half-lidded eyes, not fully awake yet. A wide grin replaced his prominent pout and he wrapped his arms around Jisoo's neck. "Thank you. And good morning."

 

Jisoo could almost feel the light blush tickling at his ears and tinting his cheeks a light shade of red. He removed himself from the situation, rolling his eyes to play off the embarrassment that Jeonghan instilled. "Whatever." he hastily spoke, walking out the bedroom. He immediately went to work in the kitchen, making Jeonghan food. This felt so domestic. Waking up to see the lovely face of the person in your arms; cooking breakfast for the two of you. He was whipped, assuredly.

After a bit more prodding, Jisoo eventually convinced Jeonghan to shower and get dressed. “It’s so nice out today, why waste it inside?” He had tried these words on Jeonghan, but still had to practically drag the reluctant boy out the door. 

The weather _was_ nice. The air was cold and crisp, yet no breeze was prevalent. The afternoon sun was high—a stark contrast to the chilly air, giving the atmosphere a nice blend of warm and cool. As Jeonghan explained how his week had gone, full attention was on him. Jisoo watched his eyes crinkle with a bold smile on his face, laughing at some random thing a classmate said. He observed how the sun created a halo of light around Jeonghan and how he'd peek over every so often to make sure Jisoo was still listening. But of course he was because whenever Jeonghan spoke, he was spellbound. Jisoo wanted to mention how beautiful his best friend looked in the pastel pink fuzzy sweater or how the light washed jeans fit him perfectly. Jisoo also knew how that would go straight to Jeonghan's ego, so he held off.

Jeonghan had picked out his sweater as well. He opted for a navy sweater with tiny white tree patterns. Jisoo hated it, but Jeonghan loved it. Therefore, he wore it without qualms. He'd really do anything if Jeonghan asked. Which is why he found himself being dragged around a strip of stores a few blocks away from their campus.

"Are you planning on actually buying anything or...?” Jisoo had finally caught up to the evanescent ball of energy. Jeonghan giggled running to another shop front. "I dunno... Were you planning on buying it for me?"

If he asked, Jisoo would do it in a heartbeat. Jeonghan wiggled his eyebrows before going inside the closest shop—a music store by the looks of it. Jisoo loved how entertained his best friend was when placed around many different distractions. He'd look at one thing like he was in love then forget it in the moment, moving on to the next.

 

Jisoo entered the small wooden shop. It had a cozy, hipster feel to it complete with mood beads, fairy lights, and slow EDM wafting in the background. They explored this area, yet never seemed to venture into this quaint little music store. Aisles were crowded close together with many albums borrowed from all over the world. There was a section to accommodate everyone's individual preferences it seemed. The wooden floor boards creaked beneath their feet as they wandered deeper into the building. Jisoo followed the light thumping of Jeonghan's feet to a corner filled with American artists.

"Ooh! Maroon 5. Don't you like this music?" Jeonghan asked, curiously picking up the CD.

"Wow. I'm surprised you remember" the American native chuckled at Jeonghan's shocked facade. Jeonghan wrapped his arms around Jisoo's neck and leaned into his ear, his breath lightly caressing his neck.

"You may not notice, Shua, but I pay very close attention to you.

Jisoo couldn't hide the slight blush creeping onto his puffy cheeks. _What was that about?_ He thought. Jeonghan pulled away and put his attention back on the CDs.

_He will never know,_ Jisoo said to himself, feeling elated, yet empty. He wanted so badly to scoop the other in his arms and never let go, but Jeonghan was a free spirit. His course changed by the day and Jisoo did all he could just to keep up. By the time he gathered himself, Jeonghan was off again. He traced his fingers along the plastic covered cases, a quiet squeak emanating from the friction. So distracted by the various designs, Jeonghan failed to notice a man hunched over a box filled with CDs a couple feet away. Jeonghan pranced forward and the man stood up—the collision was inevitable.

 

Seungcheol was blindsided and went tumbling down, buried under multiple Zicos and Deans. A slim face was directly above his, eyes shut, pink lips slightly parted. He stared up at the majestic being, not quite acknowledging the growing pain in his lower back or the prickly poke of a piece of plastic stabbing awkwardly at the back of his head. If the fall didn't take his breath, the person on top of him surely did. Slow and cautious, Seungcheol caught a glimpse of the sparkling, curious eyes of the stranger.

"Oh no. I'm so sorry." Jeonghan stumbled and stuttered, pushing himself off the wounded worker. Awkwardly, Jeonghan clambered up onto his knees and immediately began gathering loose albums and placing them back in the box from which they had fallen. Seungcheol followed soon after, sitting up.

"It's okay. Really." Seungcheol stared in awe, "I'm usually the clumsy one causing all the mess. It's nice not to be that person this time." Seungcheol cringed at his lame attempt at conversation starting.

Jeonghan scoffed. "Well if that's supposed to make me feel better..."

"No. I'm sorry. I meant like..." Seungcheol had just set his sights on an angel and wasn't all too keen on letting him slip by "I thought that..." His mouth went dry, his hands clammy. Why was he nervous? The questioning eyes in front of him seemed to drain his confidence. He noticed Jeonghan had stood up, dramatically brushing off his distressed jeans.

“It’s okay. I can take a joke.” Jeonghan smiled. He gathered the two CDs from the floor he had been planning on purchasing. Seungcheol immediately pointed them out.

"I can check you out.” As the words slipped his mouth, he immediately regretted them.  He'd never seen this side of himself before. It's like middle school Seungcheol had resurfaced, bringing forth a new wave of shyness. He is not shy at all, but this boy had him struck.

“I mean check your CDs out. Not… you.” God, he was not off to a good start.

"Oh. Umm..." Jeonghan began before getting cut off.

Jisoo saw how the situation was progressing and decided to intervene. He deemed now was the appropriate time to cut in. "Jeonghannie!" He turned on the charm, a slight whine in his voice. "You should pay more attention to where you're going." He reached out to rub Jeonghan's back, placing it closer to his waist if anything. He felt the urge to claim the man. Jeonghan was his best friend, cuddle buddy, and most trusted confidant, but nothing more. His feelings for a relationship would never—could never be requited.

“Yes. We’ll go ahead and check out. Thank you.” Jisoo politely nodded. Guiding Jeonghan to the counter, his hand not once leaving the small of his best friend’s back. Seungcheol scrambled to get to the counter and began to ring up the items. Jisoo began pulling out some cash to pay for the CDs but Jeonghan had already swiped his card. _That was strange._ He recalled various situations in which Jeonghan had swindled Jisoo into buying him whatever he pulled from the shelves. Why was he so quick to pay now?

“Sign here, please.” Seungcheol handed a receipt and pen to his new crush, blushing all the while. Jisoo noticed the way Jeonghan ran his slender fingers through his light, auburn hair. The way he bit his lower lip was all too familiar. This flirtatious air had arisen from him. Jisoo could feel the jealousy angrily biting at his fingertips. He feared someone could take his Jeonghan away.

But no matter how hard he’d want to believe, Jeonghan was not his.

Casually trading receipts, Jeonghan’s fingers grazed the handsome cashier’s. With a wink and that knowing smile, Jeonghan linked arms with Jisoo and made his exit. Seungcheol’s red lips were round and his eyes widened. He couldn’t help but stare out the door where the angel had left a sweet scent of vanilla and a trail of light in his wake. He clutched the receipt in his hand, a number quickly scribbled on it with a small note and heart by it.

_Yes, you can check me out._


	2. How It All Ended

**Present Day**

Jeonghan often liked to recount how him and Seungcheol met. “We literally fell for each other.” He’d tell anyone who’d ask (and even people who didn’t), describing Seungcheol’s flustered look as he sashayed out the door. There was a fondness in his voice talking about his boyfriend and nearly two years passed where that spark seemed as prevalent as ever. Jeonghan was happy and entirely content with his lover, which is why it came as a shock when he finally returned back to his and Jisoo’s shared dorm one night, livid.

After Jeonghan began dating Seungcheol, there was less and less interaction between the original power duo. Jeonghan began hanging out with Seungcheol in all of his free time and would stop returning to Jisoo, leaving him with a vacant feeling at nights. So much for tradition.

Jeonghan would sometimes visit Jisoo in a dream. The kind where Jeonghan was as radiant as ever, touching him in the most obscene places. He’d find himself panting and groaning as the image of Jeonghan’s half-lidded eyes held him entranced. It was only after he’d awoke that he realized his dreams were just that—dreams. He’d bask in a guilty afterglow, having the thought that Jeonghan would be disgusted if he ever found out.

Over the course of their relationship, he’d have to sit and listen to Jeonghan brag and boast over Seungcheol whenever he actually made time for him. Seungcheol was so sweet whenever he’d surprise him at work with his favorite snacks. Seungcheol was so talented each time he’d recite a rap he’d made to woo the younger. Seungcheol was so strong as he lifted Jeonghan in his arms and spun him, leaving him blushing and laughing all the while. Jisoo nearly burst when Jeonghan felt compelled to share how they’d cuddle after sweaty nights of (as Jeonghan so vulgarly stated) the most mind-blowing sex he’d ever had. As far as Jisoo knew, their relationship was the epitome of perfect. Or so, he thought.

“Shua! Can you believe him?” Jeonghan seethed before his foot even breached the doorway. “I just… Dammit Cheol!” Jisoo sat down his composition homework to give the boy his attention, but each time Jisoo opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, Jeonghan exclaimed more obscenities. “He makes me so mad sometimes!” As if to emphasize just how mad Jeonghan was, he began to pick up various items, flinging them around.

“Hey! Hannie! Let’s talk, okay? What happened?” Jisoo easily slid off of the bed and grabbed a lamp from his tight grasp before it went hurling into the wall. Jeonghan’s resolve finally broke as his face scrunched up into a rare frown. The habit of hiding his face behind his hair hadn’t entirely vanished although the locks were long gone. Silver tears rolled down his face. Jisoo’s anger peaked at the prospect of someone making his best friend cry. He wrapped his arms around Jeonghan’s shaking shoulders, guiding them back to his bed. He laid them down. It sucks that something terrible had to happen just to have him in his arms again.

Jeonghan explained how Seungcheol had always had this underlying fear that he was cheating on him. Several conversations about how he was too kind or his touches lingered too long left Jeonghan feeling shittier each day in their relationship. He’d never even considered being with someone other than Seungcheol so when he was accused of such indecent acts, he was more than offended. It made since now. How Jeonghan opted for spending the majority of his time with Seungcheol as opposed to with him. Why their ritualistic nightly cuddle sessions were cut short. He was afraid that he wasn’t giving Seungcheol the devotion he desired. He felt guilty for sharing his affections with others.

“He even accused me of cheating with you.” Jeonghan had cried into Jisoo’s chest. An odd feeling took over Jisoo at how incredulously he’d sounded, like it was impossible for them to ever be together. It stung, he couldn’t lie. But now wasn’t the time to let his jealousy plant itself in his heart when he held the cause of that jealousy so close.

“I’m sorry. You don’t deserve to be treated that way. I’ve never met someone so loyal.” Jisoo hugged the boy snugger in his arms. Jeonghan had his arms in a similar position, both entangled comfortably with each other.

“That’s not even the worst part.” Jeonghan went silent for a while. Jisoo knew he just needed time. “I—I walked in… on him and Jihoon kissing.” Frost coated his lungs upon hearing those words. After he’d been ridiculed and suspected of cheating, Seungcheol had the nerve to do something like that? He swore he’d kick his ass the next chance he got.

A quiet knock was heard at the door. It looked like the chance presented itself all too quickly. The door opened before they had the chance to assess the situation.

“I wanted to give you time to calm do—” Seungcheol’s words were trapped in his throat as he looked up to see what he dreaded the most. “H-hey!” He stuttered. “You do things like this and you expect me not to worry?” Seungcheol was furious and hurt and confused. He really did love Yoon Jeonghan, but over the years, realized that everyone else did too.

“You have no right to say _anything_ to me.” Jeonghan sprung up, eyes accusatory and stance defensive.

“I have no right? When you’re over here lying in bed with another man?” The rage boiled like a hot cauldron.

“I think I should just leave.” Jisoo bowed his head, feeling uncomfortable and out of place. He didn’t want to be caught in the crossfire of this argument. There was no point in trying to intervene when Jeonghan was fired up.

“No. Stay. I think Seungcheol should leave. He has no right being here anyway.” Jeonghan physically stopped Jisoo with a hand to his chest. Seungcheol’s eyes spoke a venomous warning.

“I came to explain myself. If we can just talk… alone.” He cut his eyes to Jisoo. He resented everything about the boy.

“Anything you have to say, you can say it in front of Jisoo.” The aforementioned felt more and more awkward. It felt like watching a drama, only way more intimate and definitely more terrifying.

“Why are you doing this? Can you stop being dramatic and just—”

“Dramatic?” Jeonghan asked appalled. “You accuse me of cheating and then I find you kissing Jihoon. Do I not have reason to act this way?”

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I didn’t kiss him. He kissed me.”

“I really don’t think I should be here.” Jisoo tried to leave again, but Jeonghan blocked his path, continuing his rant.

“That’s really fucking bold of you. So he forced you to kiss back?”

“No. Jeonghan, please. It was just a kiss it doesn’t matter.”

“Oh, really?” Jeonghan asked sarcastically. Unprepared for his rash actions, Jisoo was shocked when Jeonghan reached out and yanked him close, his fist curled tightly around the fabric of his t-shirt. Unpredictably, soft lips pressed roughly against his own. Their noses bumped into each other, and he could feel Jeonghan’s erratic breath, knowing he was making a regrettable decision. The kiss was fast and hard, the sheer force of it causing him to stumble back slightly. It was nothing like he’d imagined their first kiss to be, but he never felt something so perfect before in his life.

“It’s just a kiss. It doesn’t matter.” Jeonghan stated harshly, tears staining his angelic face. He stormed out the door, leaving both boys stunned. Seungcheol could only watch, his limbs rendered immobile as the boy slammed the door behind him. The loud crash of wood resonated in the small room, causing the two remaining occupants to jump. Neither moved.

Seungcheol’s words were thrown right back in his face in the most unexpected way. Jisoo’s heart was used in a petty little game that he willingly decided to play. How this one boy could entirely captivate the world with his antics was unbeknownst to anyone. You can’t help but love him, no matter how bad it hurts. But the heart ache he left in his wake, could never replace the elation felt from his presence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of wanted to end it here, not for artistic aesthetics but because I didn't really have an idea of how I could continue and choosing between Jisoo and Seungcheol is like choosing between birthday cake ice cream and cotton candy ice cream. (Those are my two favorites lol). If you have any ideas, let me know and maybe I'll add more, but for now this is it.


End file.
